


Howler Mistake

by GeorgeWeasleysGirl (hattersgirlalice)



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 18:50:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17065196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hattersgirlalice/pseuds/GeorgeWeasleysGirl
Summary: Fred and George send a girl a howler as a prank, but it backfires when they accidentally hurt her feelings.





	Howler Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for myself because I am having a low day. I have changed my OCs surname and her family to closer reflect the type of family I suffer with daily. Just keep that in mind.

George stared over at the Ravenclaw table in horror. He and his twin brother Fred had been playing pranks like this at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for nearly two years now. None of them had ever made him feel like this; sick and sad. Neither of them had anticipated her extreme reaction.

They had sent a howler, using a disguised voice, to a girl in their charms class. He and Fred did not hate her. In fact they both kind of liked the girl. Katie Cholmondeley was a pretty girl in their year with long mahogany brown hair and dark blue/green eyes. She was clever and generous often letting them peek at her work during class when they were not paying attention and were called upon to answer a question. They were working their way up in pranks to reach the ultimate prank that year on their fourteenth birthday.

The howler had screamed at her about how much of a disappointment she was academically. Fred had gone on and on in a very good impression of their mother about Katie’s grades being low and not to the standard that was expected of her.

Both boys knew something was wrong when mid howler she started tearing up. Then she was outright crying and sobbing. Several of her fellow Ravenclaws had surrounded her and were patting her and whispering comforts in her ears. One of the prefects had pulled off his hat and put it over the howler before springing off to the Entrance Hall where the howler would burn taking his hat with it.

George reacted before Fred. He hurried up and over to her, brushing aside several angry Ravenclaws. Fred quickly followed him, but he had no idea what to say to the girl. He was devastated she did not take the joke as they had expected.

“We did not mean it, Katie,” George said hurriedly. “It was just a joke.”

“That was a terrible joke,” another Ravenclaw hissed. “That was low. You don’t even know her.”

“And I thought you knew not to make it so personal,” growled another.

The Ravenclaws were looking violent now. Fred and George ignored them. They could handle whatever the clever house could dish out to them. George’s mind was only on finding out how to cheer Katie up.

“Nothing in that howler was personal. We know you are one of the most cleverest students in our year. If we even had the slightest thought that you might feel this way we would never have sent it to you.”

“Never,” echoed Fred softly.

“Boys.”

Tiny Professor Flitwick had arrived. He was the Charms professor and head of Ravenclaw house. He was not even half as tall as the twins were even if they were only about thirteen years old. He looked up at them, not angrily but sadly. “I think you need to have a private discussion with Miss Cholmondeley. Why don’t the pair of you take her up to the Hospital Wing. Ask Madam Pomfrey for a calming potion for her.”

Fred nodded as George gently put his hands over Katie’s upper arms and gently guided her out of her seat. “Up you get,” George said. “Fred, grab her bag and ours, will you?”

Katie had stopped crying as they left the Great Hall. Her face was still in her hands, however and Fred and George could see the blush on her cheeks between her fingers. They had mortified students before, but not like this, not to someone with which they had some sort of friendly relationship.

“We really did not mean to hurt your feelings or embarrass you,” George said. Now that they were alone, he had reverted to a soft, soothing voice.

All Katie could seem to do was nod into her hands. George now had his arm around her guiding her up the Grand Staircase. She was shaking a little under his arm. He was almost afraid she might miss steps and so George pulled her closer to his side. At least she did not protest. If anything she willingly leaned into his embrace. There was a sudden swooping feeling in George’s stomach, as if he were falling off a broom.

When they arrived in the infirmary, George lifted Katie onto one of the beds as Fred asked for the potion from Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse. Soon Katie had taken a spoonful of the medicine and she was able to stop shaking.

“There now,” George continued in the soft voice that was kind of creeping his brother out. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes,” Katie gasped. She was still wiping tears away from her face. All of her face was red from her blush and from her rubbing her face.

“Stop that, you’re going to wipe away your pretty face.”

Suddenly Katie blushed even more than she was before if that was at all possible. She shifted away from George a bit with her eyes wide. George wanted to say he did not mean it, but the words just would not come out. Instead he pulled her hands away from her face and held them in one of his as he rubbed her arm with the other soothingly. He was very confused as to why he felt like doing these things.

“What did we do wrong?” He asked.

Katie took a deep shuddering breath. “George. Fred.” She sighed and looked away from them. ‘I’m not upset with you. You’ve apologized. Just leave it.”

“Flitwick said to ask you.”

“And we want to know.”

“Not because we are curious.”

“But because we are your friends.”

“And we would never want to hurt you.”

“Katie,” George sighed. “Please. How can we not hurt you again if you don’t tell us what we did wrong? Your whole house seems to know.”

“We could just ask them,” said Fred.

This got a fierce reaction from Katie as she stood up suddenly and tried to get into his face, which was difficult as he was just over a head taller than her. “They won’t say anything. They had to know. They had to know why I cried myself to sleep at night. I couldn’t keep why there are some days when we are waiting outside our common room; I break down with a panic attack because I’m not smart enough to be in my house.”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. Relax,” George said, pulling her back from Fred who looked freaked out. “Should we get you some more potion?”

Katie turned and threw herself at his chest, crying. “No. No, I don’t want anymore potion.”

George put his arms protectively around her as she cried into his robes. “Tell us what’s wrong? Maybe we can fix it. We are clever too.”

“You can’t fix it.”

“Why?”

“You can’t fix my whole family,” she mumbled into his chest.

Fred and George’s eyes met. So there was a problem at home. This was something beyond their comprehension. Their family loved each other. Sure they fought, but… No. They could not understand what would be so wrong with her whole family.

“Want to... explain?”

Katie sniffled. “Don’t want to.”

“How can we help you? How can we protect you?”

Clearly, George had said the wrong thing. Katie began crying outright again. Behind her, Fred groaned softly.

“I’m sorry,” said George. “What did I say wrong?” He sounded like he was pleading with her.

“Nothing, you said nothing wrong. My family’s a mess.” 

Finally she pulled away and looked up into George’s brown ones. They gazed at each other for a moment. Something that felt like they had been hit with a jolt of lightning passed between them.

“My family,” Katie sighed. Her voice was light, but it also sounded empty. “They did not want me to come to Hogwarts. They wanted me home schooled. They had a famous tutor all lined up… you see… my family is pureblood and-and unlike your family, no offense, they want to keep it that way.”

Once she had started talking, Katie was a little hard to shut up. George had helped her back on the bed as she talked. He sat down next to her and watched and listened intently. She used her hands a lot when she talked. George liked that, he would have smiled if what she was telling him was not so serious.

The Cholmondeley’s were a very strict bunch. They did not hold to mixing purebloods with halfbloods and muggleborns. Katie had to beg and plead with them to let her attend Hogwarts and after all that, they were not satisfied with her grades. George had not been wrong when he said Katie was one of the top students in their year, but she was not the top student. Being at the top of everything was important to her family.

Eventually, Katie confessed to all the mental abuse her parents and sibling put her through. She was told constantly how she was not good enough or smart enough to be a part of their family. They blamed all of their problems on her; her fault if they were out of potion ingredients, her fault if a spell went wrong, and her fault if her sibling’s date did not go as planned.

“So,” and she began crying again. “When I got the howler, I thought they finally had enough of me and-and…”

“We had no idea,” George said pulling her back to his chest and cupping her head gently there with his hand. Her hair was soft and it smelled nice.

“We would never have done that if we had known,” agreed Fred. “Never. We should have just stuck with spelling your spoon to drop your oatmeal onto your lap.”

Katie laughed a little. “That would have been nice.”

“There’s that beautiful smile,” George sighed pushing her away gently to look at her. He was now cupping her face into his hand as she beamed up at him. Her face was still red and her eyes were puffy, but she was smiling.

Fred rolled his eyes. “Just ask her out already.”

“What?”

George and Katie broke apart.

“You both really seem to like each other. Come on. I’ve been watching you this whole time. Ask her to have dinner with you tonight in the kitchens. The house elves won’t mind.” Fred just stood there as they stared at him. “I’m not budging until this is a done deal. Go on.” 

George looked a little flustered. He was not expecting to fancy girls so soon in his life. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Katie had just spilled her guts out to them.

“Does that sound nice to you,” he mumbled.

Katie was blushing again. “Lovely,” she muttered back. Neither of them could look the other in the eye.

“Not the greatest way to ask out a girl, but I suppose it will have to do.” Fred clapped George on the shoulder. “Listen, Katie, we are seriously sorry about the prank. We won’t ever do something like that again. And as for your family, they’re wrong. They are dead wrong. You should come and spend a holiday with us. Our mum would love you and you can see what a family really should be like.”

With that little speech, Fred turned on his heel and left the Hospital Wing. George was left standing with Katie. They slowly turned and looked at each other again. Katie gave George a slow, but sad smile.

“I would like that,” she whispered.

“What?”

“To have a mum who would love me, you know, for just being me.”

“My mum’s the one for that. If she can love me an Fred, then she can love anyone. And since you are smart and sweet, well, she will adore you.”

“Maybe, maybe one day I can come and stay with you for a holiday?”

“I really hope so, but for now, would you like to study with me in the library. We did miss a whole day of classes.”

Katie nodded and hand in hand, they walked out of the infirmary.


End file.
